As the son of a 55-year-old coach who graduated from Everett in 1974 (head football coach since ’92), Jonathan DiBiaso literally grew up under the Friday Night Lights of Everett Memorial Stadium.
“We didn’t have day care or a babysitter, so I’d go to the football field every day for a couple of hours,’’ said the quarterback. “I’ve been getting coached by high school coaches and high school players since I was a little kid. I saw all the different players coming up and winning championships. Football is everything to people in Everett.’’
The senior remembers the 12 Super Bowls and eight state championships and the annual Greater Boston League crowns of his wonder years. He remembers the coldest night ever when he was 8 years old and the fabulous Nuzzo brothers (Frank and Matt) beat Brockton, 34-7, in the Division 1 semifinals at Everett. It was the first meeting of Everett and Brockton in 49 years, and it was so cold your spit crystallized before it hit the turf.
“They had the heaters’’ - pronounced “heetahs’’ - “out there by the field,’’ DiBiaso remembered. “I was dressed really warm and I must have had plastic or something on my pants because I was standing by the heetah and my pants caught on fire. I think they put water on me to get the fire out. I was OK.’’
He has been white-hot ever since. On Oct. 28, DiBiaso threw six touchdown passes in the first half of a 41-14 win over Medford, which vaulted him past Brockton’s Tom Colombo’s state record (85).
With as many as three games left to play, Everett’s senior southpaw has 97 touchdown passes, 38 this season. He is gunning for the season record of 43 he set last season.
Throwing six more this year might not be as easy as it sounds. The Tide exhausts opponents with a no-huddle, hurry-up offense, but Coach DiBiaso says he doesn’t like running up the score.
“We stop at 42,’’ he said. “I never score more than 50 if I can help it.’’
